retiring

Post by **Ray.Charles** » February 27, 2015, 11:07 pm

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kathleen- ... lp00000592
What about Udon?

Post by **can123** » February 28, 2015, 5:39 am

Nobody in his right mind would retire to Udon Thani if he could afford to retire to Bangkok. Too many reasons to list to support this but one simple one - traffic in Udon at rush hour is worse than traffic in Bangkok. Having driven in both cities last August/September I can say that this is so.

Post by **fatbob** » February 28, 2015, 6:23 am

can123 wrote: by can123 » February 28, 2015, 5:39 am

Nobody in his right mind would retire to Udon Thani if he could afford to retire to Bangkok. Too many reasons to list to support this but one simple one - traffic in Udon at rush hour is worse than traffic in Bangkok. Having driven in both cities last August/September I can say that this is so.

I am now living and working in Bkk and have a house in Udon area, what you have just posted is total sh-t, you obviously have not spent much time in Bkk if you think Udon traffic is worse than Bkk, who in there right mind would want to retire here breathing this air daily.

Post by **Khun Paul** » February 28, 2015, 6:34 am

Retiring to anywhere in Thailand is good, unfortunately the cities are mainly clogged up , air pollution is bad as is the traffic, many are in fact dirty places awaiting the start iof the Rainy season to clean themselves up.
bangkok is only visitable in the rainy season when the rain cleans the air and then for max 3 days at a time.
UIdon sure the traffic has increased, sure the problems related to that have also increased, BUT apart from the 0700-0900 and the 1530-18-- rush hours it is OK, the traffic on the ring road has got worse, but sateps are afoot to ease that ( might take a few years but it will happen.
Retirement in Udon go for it, you can meet all,m sorts of folk who are alive mainly because the air quality is vastly superior to tha tof Bangkok or Chiang mai or even KK and Korat.

Post by **Nong Bua Dave** » February 28, 2015, 8:01 am

We lived in the Don Muang district of Bangkok (still have a town house there) from 2000 until 2013, when we moved up to Udon Thani. At the time I was working downtown and had to negotiate the Rama IX traffic daily. Often I would be waiting 20-30 minutes just to move 100m and cross the Asoke RamaIX intersection. I could write a book about the other problem areas around BKK. Here in Udon there is a bit of traffic along Posri and some of the other roads at peak times.
But, saying it is "worse" than Bangkok ? Never!

Post by **kubotatim** » February 28, 2015, 9:03 am

Udon is 100% better and far cheaper than Bangkok, and the traffic is nothing compared it is a stroll in the park. I really hate Bangkok and sold my house there last year, what a relief.

Post by **rick** » February 28, 2015, 2:36 pm

If you like cities, I'm sure there are many nicer places than Bangkok or Udon. What is nice is living outside the centre of Udon in a semi-rural location but still within 20 minutes of all the facilities. Bangkok - a place for a couple of days business or tourism, then get out. As the comments to the article said, live in Bangkok on $1,000 a month? Exist, maybe. Even in Udon $1,000 is tough and anyway is not enough to meet long term visa requirements.

Post by **can123** » February 28, 2015, 4:17 pm

coxo wrote:I am now living and working in Bkk and have a house in Udon area, what you have just posted is total sh-t, you obviously have not spent much time in Bkk if you think Udon traffic is worse than Bkk, who in there right mind would want to retire here breathing this air daily.

What a silly thing to say ! Of course I am familiar with Bangkok and Udon. In terms of the facilities available Udon is a very poor relation of Krungthep. This is the case all over the world where the capital cities rule the roost and those who live in them are forced to pay a premium for doing so. The well-off live in the capital and the less well-off live in the other cities.

Post by **noosard** » February 28, 2015, 4:23 pm

Traffic better in bangkok than udon. What a silly thing to say

Post by **udonthani** » February 28, 2015, 5:41 pm

BKK is OK, but only for a very short time, all the traffic is horrible, the air pollution is horrible and too many people congested at the same place, I would say 3-4 days max. Udon has some traffic problems too, but they are minimal, the air is much better here, the only thing I'm missing is theater and concerts, but a journey to BKK two three times a year fulfills that, I love my retirements here since 10+ years now

Post by **bumper** » February 28, 2015, 5:50 pm

Come on guys. If your happy in Bangkok please stay there.

Post by **Nong Bua Dave** » February 28, 2015, 8:37 pm

Can123, apart from your comment about traffic (which you did not specify any locations in BKK a city of either 8 or 12 million, depending on where you care to draw the boundaries - compared to Udon, with around 400,000 and no more than a couple of bad traffic spots), you are talking in generalities.
How is Udon "poor" in comparison to BKK?
Sure it is limited in the Arts area. Restaurants can be in a bit limited in some international cuisines, but what else ?

Post by **old-timer** » February 28, 2015, 9:36 pm

When you think about it Udon is a scaled down version of Bangkok. Hotels, restaurants, hospitals, bars, coffee shops, shopping, traffic, prices, house rentals, lady's and even lady boys are available in Udon, just not on the same scale as BKK. So if your a falang in your retirement living in Udon you can more or less get anything you want the same as you can in Bangkok but cheaper.
Another thing is that the Udon countryside is close to the center of town and peaceful with good air quality.
So all in all Udon is a good all-rounder when it comes to retirement. It's not a case of BKK being 1st class and UTH being economy, it's just Udon does not have the quantity Bangkok has.

OT.............. $\:D/$

Post by **can123** » February 28, 2015, 11:54 pm

Nong Bua Dave wrote:Can123, apart from your comment about traffic (which you did not specify any locations in BKK a city of either 8 or 12 million, depending on where you care to draw the boundaries - compared to Udon, with around 400,000 and no more than a couple of bad traffic spots), you are talking in generalities.
How is Udon "poor" in comparison to BKK?
Sure it is limited in the Arts area. Restaurants can be in a bit limited in some international cuisines, but what else ?

It would be easier for all if you could point to areas where Udon was superior to Bangkok. People here are refusing to accept that the amenities of a capital city in every country are better than those provided in the lesser cities. The original poster seemed to be criticising Bangkok as a location for retirement and I defended it in the knowledge that Bangkok is an incredibly interesting city to live in.

I would suggest that the original poster published an article extolling the virtues of life in Udon. He would struggle on the cultural front, the restaurant scene, and the night life. By "night life" I mean the whole spectrum of entertainment not just the red light areas.

I spent a lot of time in Udon Thani and came to the conclusion that it was not for me. My choices lie between Nong Khai and the province of Kanchanaburi. Physically two locations whch are far apart but ones which I find attractive.

Post by **Khun Paul** » March 1, 2015, 12:31 pm

To each their own I say, I like Udon Thani, bangkok is far too polluted for my sensitive lungs as is Chiang mai now, however it is only the last few years that Chiang mai has become unliveable in. As for Bangkok used to stay there for weeks, then come back to Udon, Even now despite the amenities as you call them I am afraid my health is far more important then going to a show or theatre, as for fine dining well I have eaten in Bangkok at some supposedly good restaurants frankly I have eaten better in Udon .
As for being superior, maybe Udon is not as you say superior, but
QUALITY OF LIFE, CLEANLINESS OF AIR , AVAILABILITY OF MOST ITEMS YOU REQUIRE TO LIVE WELL, make the list as being more important than opportunites to see the latest and watch the latest film/play or whatever.
bangkok can not offer two of the above by any stretch of the imagination. As I am a Londoner ( Cockney in fact ) I love London but it is vastly superior to Bangkok even the air is cleaner. So Can123 put that in your pipe and smoke it.

Post by **noosard** » March 1, 2015, 1:16 pm

"The original poster seemed to be criticising Bangkok as a location for retirement"

Where did he say that
seems he asked question

"People here are refusing to accept that the amenities of a capital city in every country are better than those provided in the lesser cities."
Now that is a bit of bs
there lots of cities better than capital of each country

Post by **jackspratt** » March 1, 2015, 1:37 pm

can123 wrote: People here are refusing to accept that the amenities of a capital city in every country are better than those provided in the lesser cities.

I am not sure you would get much agreement on that from the residents of Sydney/Melbourne/Brisbane/Perth and even Adelaide and Hobart.

Beijing/Shanghai ........ Washington/New York .......... I could go on and on.

Post by **GT93** » March 1, 2015, 2:16 pm

Wellington/ Auckland, Hanoi/Ho Chi Minh, Abuja/Lagos ...

Kidding aside, KP for you what are the quality of life factors that mean you hang out in Udon rather than London?

Post by **can123** » March 1, 2015, 2:59 pm

Khun Paul wrote: Can123 put that in your pipe and smoke it.

I agree with almost everything you have written but why do you feel the need to be rude when making your point ? Some posters here are very immature. My initial remarks were made in defence of Bangkok as a retirement destination yet they were seized on as an attack on the city of Udon Thani.

Post by **noosard** » March 1, 2015, 4:19 pm

Can123 you made the secod post
Nobody said anything till after your opening statement
"Nobody in his right mind would retire to Udon Thani if he could afford to retire to Bangkok."
you put everyone retired in Udon on-side or is that offside
and kicked an own goal
well done